Okay so I finally built myself some hoppers about a month ago. Before that I was rationing my lab blocks one and a half per mouse in the tub every morning. As you can imagine it's a hassle to put food in everyday. Before that I was just filling the bowls but I felt I wasted too much when I cleaned tubs and threw out all the stuff they'd urinated on.

Anyway I built my hoppers but I think my mice are going through the food faster than ever. They empty them in 2-3 days and it should be more than enough food for a week or even two. It looks like they're shredding the blocks down to a fine powder and not eating it. I find a layer of the stuff under the bedding when I clean.

Is there any way to keep mice from wasting food?

A pic of one of my hoppers,

It's a 1/2inch hardware cloth tube set in a cheap plastic bowl. A little hot glue, bend some wires and there yah go.

Tub setup,

The hopper goes all the way to the top of the tub so when I lid is on they can't get inside it.